PRAGUE, January 13. /TASS/. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico invited Vladimir Zelensky for talks on natural-gas transit.
"Let me, as the highest representative of the Slovak executive branch, invite you to a meeting, preferably as soon as possible," he wrote on Facebook (banned in Russia as it's owned by Meta Corporation, which is designated an extremist organization in Russia). "The meeting could take place on Slovak territory near Slovakia's state border with Ukraine."
"Such a meeting would create good conditions for an open discussion of gas supplies to Slovakia and other countries through the territory of Ukraine and possible technical solutions, given the termination of the contract between the respective Ukrainian and Russian companies on December 31, 2024," the official went on to say.
Vladimir Zelensky earlier criticized Fico and even used rude language. According to Zelensky, Kiev offered help to Slovakia for the time when they will be adapting to a lack of gas from Russia, but Fico "pompously refused."
On January 1, the shipment of Russian gas to Europe through Ukraine was completely stopped due to Kiev's refusal to extend the transit agreement. Slovakia was one of the recipients of that gas. Fico then announced that the EU consultations on natural gas, which were scheduled for January 7, were canceled due to the absence of the Ukrainian delegation. On January 9, the Slovak prime minister threatened to take harsh measures against Ukraine if the problems with gas transit were not resolved.